TCC Studio / Street Blog http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog In the Studio & On the Street! Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:30:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 TccRadiohttp://feedburner.google.com E-Tools Newsletter | August 2010 http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/08/e-tools-newsletter-august-2010/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/08/e-tools-newsletter-august-2010/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:30:22 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2255 Welcome to our for August 2010! This monthly TCC field report also includes strategic outreach resources to encourage, equip, and empower you to more effectively share the Gospel with all the loved ones in your life as we faithfully serve Christ in Canada together.

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Preachers of the Caribbean!

The 2010 Barrie Xstream Team Missionaries | Back row (l to r): Andy Koch, Tom Briggs, Duane Carrier, Keegan Shultz, Bill Dawson, Stephen Baptist, Michael Beaubien. Front row (l to r): Cory McKenna, Brad Young, Jeff Mardling, Greg Coyne, Jacob Baribeau, Chris Wood

This past August 14th, thirteen street preachers came together to experience the power of the Gospel first-hand at the annual Caribbean Festival on the waterfront in Barrie, Ontario. “Caribest” boasts a crowd of close to 100,000 which makes it an ideal location for an Xstream Team Mission (XTM).

Right: Jacob Baribeau, one of our newest XTM missionaries, talks to one of the fascinating people at Caribfest 2010

While many of the regular TCC team members enlisted for this local mission, several first-time XTM Barrie participants also stepped out in faith to join us!

Here is a testimony of one of the newest members of the team:

“I became a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ on November 3rd, 2001. Recently, I had the privilege of joining The Cross Current evangelism team in Barrie, Ontario to witness at the city’s annual Caribfest event.

Left: Greg Coyne, another new XTM missionary, shares the Gospel on the street for the first time

This was the first time I’ve ever participanted in street evangelism. I’ve always been amazed and inspired by others who bravely share their faith. By comparison, I always felt like a cowardly Christian watching safely from the sidelines while others advanced the Kingdom of God.

Right: XTM Barrie newcomer, Andy Koch, pleads with a Caribfest passerby to consider matters of life, death, and eternity

Sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with total strangers was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. While I wouldn’t go so far to say that it was a transcendent experience, I would say that in my heart I knew that I was doing something of eternal significance. I went there to confront my cowardice and glorify Christ, but I got a lot more than I could have ever expected. I found the cry of lost souls desperately seeking answers, and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit working through obedient, humble, and unworthy followers to deliver a message of eternal hope in Jesus Christ.

Left: Martin of Harvest Bible Chapel Barrie (our partner church for this event) takes the time to talk truth with two young men at Caribfest

Since then I have spent more time in the Word, worshipping, praying, and getting down on my face in humility and awestruck wonder of God’s love. I found everything I was looking for and God still perfected His plan to exalt His Son Jesus Christ.

The Lord has put one nagging thought in my head since then…there are still so many more lost souls to tell the gospel to…now go!”

~ Greg Coyne

Right: Keegan Shultz was not only one of the brand new team members of XTM Barrie, but he was also the recipient of our “open air extraordinaire” award, a prize given for preaching the Gospel open air for the very first time

Other new XTM Barrie team members included: Michael Beaubien, Duane Carrier, Bill Dawson, and Brad Young. We thank God for each one of you and for the boldness He has given you to preach His precious Gospel!

View our entire 2010 XTM Barrie Photo Album

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Witnessing Workshop Small Group Testimony

For the very first time, The Cross Current’s flagship training stream for equipping you and your church to be Christ’s witnesses will soon be available in DVD format for large or small groups.This montha group of Christians of many diverse ages, backgrounds, and vocations came together to serve as a pilot project to “test drive” the Witnessing Workshop Small Group training for themselves.

Here is the testimony of just one of the graduates:

“When my husband asked me to take an 8-week witnessing workshop this summer I thought, “Sure. Every Wednesday night socializing with other Christians. Great!” However, God had another plan for my heart and this is what it was…

The workshop gave us great tools and techniques for sharing the Gospel. It addressed how to share with loved ones and a different approach for sharing with complete strangers. From how to start a conversation to using the Ten Commandments to show how we are all sinners separated from God.

Early in the workshop I tried out one of the field questions with an unsaved friend. I never realized she was terrified of death and the field question I asked her motivated her to ask another Christian friend about death. The conversation lead to him sharing the Gospel with her. So I shared this story with the small group and I thought the results were neat, but that was it.

In my Christian life I was on my way to becoming an isolated Christian, only making time to be with Christian and church friends. My heart was hardened and my attitude was that everyone who is unsaved is going to hell and they deserve it. I just didn’t have a heart for the lost.

It wasn’t until the realization that one of my 3 unsaved brothers is very involved in an occult lifestyle that I fully understood the need to share the Gospel. God used this experience to wake me up and show me that there is an urgency to share the truth.

Am I going to be the next biggest street evangelist standing on a box in the middle of downtown? Unlikely (unless, of course, that is God’s plan for me). But to have a heart for the lost close to me has changed me forever. This workshop training has helped me be more comfortable and bold in being all about Christ, instead of the Gospel being something I only talk about at church or when I am comfortable.”

~ Kim Winia

This DVD-based Witnessing Workshop Small Group curriculum will help you and your church leverage TCC’s experience in the local mission field to “normalize” sharing your faith in all of your personal relationships and beyond.

Comprised of 8 interactive sessions, the training series is also supported and supplemented by web-based facilitator and participant resources. It is scheduled to be available early this fall.

View a complete sample session of this training

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TCC Radio: Equipping you for follow-up too!

is designed to connect you in spiritual conversation with all the lost ones in your life. But did you know that the show is also being used for following up with those who have already heard the Gospel?Here is a follow-up testimony, courtesy of our program host, Cory McKenna:

“I was enjoying a relaxing Saturday with my family. Just when we arrived home after picking up some groceries, we were greeted by a door-to-door salesman. Now, I know that thought likely makes you cringe (because it used to make me cringe too), but for the Christian concerned with preaching the Word when it’s convenient and when it’s inconvenient, door-to-door salesmen are what we call low-hanging fruit.

Salesman Manny announced that he was selling new energy efficient water tanks. However, it turned out that we just had a brand new water tank installed. So as he was about to leave, I passed him a million dollar bill Gospel tract, saying: “Manny, it doesn’t look like we’re in the market for a new water tank, but I will still give you a million dollars for all your hard work today!”. As people usually do, Manny asked what the tract was. I then proceeded to ask him “The Million Dollar Question” (where will you spend eternity?) before sharing the Gospel.

As our conversation finished, I gave him my contact information, encouraged him to check out our radio show, and closed the door. However, just a few minutes later, I remembered him telling me that he was raised Roman Catholic but had walked away from it. “Wait a second!”, I thought to myself. I could ask Manny for his email address and offer to send him a link to our recent series on Roman Catholicism. That way he could learn the truth about their religion while digging into the weightier matters of life, death, and eternity. PLUS I could also do my best to keep in touch with him over email! I immediately chased Manny down the street and asked him for his personal email address and he gladly gave it to me. Right away, I came back home and sent him an email thanking him for his time, along with the link to the TCC Radio series on Roman Catholicism, as promised.

Now, you might be thinking: “Yeah, Cory, that’s great for you…but I don’t host a radio show.” True! But did you notice that I mentioned nothing to Manny about hosting a radio show? In fact, everything that I said in our conversation was something that you could share with all the loved ones and strangers in your life too!”

To begin using to follow-up with those you share the Gospel with, simply visit www.tccradio.com to get familiarized with the many topics we have covered on the program, and then begin asking for emails with each Gospel encounter. Remember: eternity is at stake, so go for it!”

~ Cory McKenna

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Your for September

Let’s continue partnering together to keep our for TCC and the Church in Canada strong!

We humbly ask you, your family, and your church to remember to pray for the following TCC ministry needs in September:

Video Editor – With TCC TV just launching on The Stream TV, we are in need of a competent video editor. Though this position will start as volunteer, we trust this broadcast will eventually bring the exposure necessary to require a salaried position.

XTM Niagara Falls (September 25th) – Our Xstream Team Missions team will again be reaching out to the world in Canada’s tourism hotspot to pass tracts, preach open air, and witness one-to-one.

Continue keeping a pulse on our prayer needs

Bookmark our ministry calendar to continue praying for our local missions

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We again thank God for you and your partnership in preaching the Gospel.

For the Glory of God,

The Cross Current Team

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Keep Connected with TCC

Share TCC on Facebook

Follow TCC on Twitter

Subscribe to this newsletter

Bookmark our Blog

Donate to our mission in Canada

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/08/e-tools-newsletter-august-2010/feed/ 0 TCC Radio – “3 Minutes to Live” | Listener’s Resources http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/tcc-radio-3-minutes-to-live-listeners-resources/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/tcc-radio-3-minutes-to-live-listeners-resources/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 04:04:45 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2222 Welcome to your Listener’s Resources for our special series called “3 Minutes to Live”, as heard on The Cross Current Radio Show!

These simple outreach resources will allow you to witness to your loved ones using the same basic tools that our field reps use throughout the production of each radio series.

“3 Minutes to Live” – August 2010 | Producer’s Notes & Listener’s Script

Follow the simple download instructions below to access these TCC Radio outreach resources. We pray they will help you make the most of reaching out to the lost loved ones and strangers in your world.

“3 Minutes to Live” – Producer’s Notes (Download: Right-click, “Save as”)

Producer’s Notes presented by: Kevin Lane – writer & producer

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“3 Minutes to Live” – Listener’s Script (Download: Click, save, and print)

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]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/tcc-radio-3-minutes-to-live-listeners-resources/feed/ 0 E-Tools Newsletter | July 2010 http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-july-2010/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-july-2010/#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 03:59:55 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2226 Welcome to our for July 2010! This monthly TCC field report also includes strategic outreach resources to encourage, equip, and empower you to more effectively share the Gospel with all the loved ones in your life as we faithfully serve Christ in Canada together.

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GO Canada!


Canada needs Christ. This three-word phrase has become the cry of our hearts as we hit the streets of our home and native land each week to preach the Gospel. And what better day to connect with Canadians in Jesus’ Name than on Canada Day?

This past July 1st, The Cross Current partnered with the Gospel Outreach (”GO”) Team of Harvest Bible Chapel London to celebrate the birth of our nation and to share the grace and truth of Christ with our community.

Left: The Gospel Outreach “GO” Team of Harvest Bible Chapel London

Securing a “salvation station” is the first important step we take towards enjoying a fruitful day of outreach during special events. This is simply a team base whereby we can set up all the resources necessary to connect with the community and plan for follow-up as the Lord brings opportunity.

GO Team missions leader, Chris Wood, sourced us a prime location for our salvation station; a high-traffic hotspot in the centre of the city where we set up two tables: one containing free Canada Day souvenirs and the other containing Bibles and church information.

Our Gospel outreach team of men, women, and children then spent the afternoon sharing Bibles, balloons, and the Good News of Jesus Christ. The most popular conversation starters proved to be Canadian million dollar bill tracts and Canada Day surveys.

Above: Our “salvation station” table of Bibles and church information

Both enabled us to break the ice and build a quick relationship with non-Christians before talking with them about matters of life, death, and eternity.

Right: TCC Rep, Jeff Mardling, and GO Team member, Rebecca Coyne, pray for a man after sharing the Gospel on Canada Day

We thank God that many people heard the Gospel, were prayed for, and are continuing to be followed up with. In fact, we have already re-connected with a young man we prayed for that day named Doug who is still anxiously awaiting a kidney transplant. Would you take a minute right now to pray that Doug will receive a healthy kidney and that he will keep his promise of joining us for church to receive the ongoing support that he needs?

View our entire Canada Day Outreach Photo Album

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Xstream Fishing at the Falls


What do you call it when 15 plus seed sowers set aside an entire Saturday to hit Canada’s premier tourist trap for the purpose of passing tracts, preaching open air, and witnessing one-to-one? We call it Xstream Team Mission (XTM) Niagara Falls 2010! Though we have invaded the Falls several times, little did we know that this time the Lord would “pour out” a special lesson in faithfulness for our entire team…

Right: The 2010 Niagara Falls Xstream Team Mission Team

Never before had we been faced with a 90% chance of rain the day before an Xstream Team Mission. Would we postpone the trip or would we push on through? After much prayer and consideration, our key leaders decided that we would step out in faith and complete the mission rain or shine.

Left: XTM newcomer, Tanner Morrison, breaks the ice into a one-to-one witnessing encounter

We arrived in the Falls shortly after lunch and were greeted with overcast skies. After about three hours of witnessing, the heavens opened up and torrential downpour fell like I haven’t seen in years! Again, we debated about aborting the mission. However, this time our entire team agreed together that we weren’t going to allow a little mid-day moisture to dampen what God wanted to do through us amidsts hundreds of thousands of lost people. Needless to say that by the end of day we were very thankful that we persevered through the storm…and so were Dan and Toby. Cory shares the story:

Let’s just say that when Brad (our cameraman) and I initially encountered Dan and Toby, neither of us were too optimistic about the potential for a quality video interview. However, something compelled me to ask the question anyway: “Hey, could I interview you guys for The Cross Current TV?” Toby was not interested, but Dan was.

Right: TCC Rep, Thomas Woodburn, preaches the Gospel open air

I began by asking Dan the “million dollar question”: “Dan, where do you believe that you will spend eternity?” He gladly shared his view that whatever any individual believes about the afterlife is what happens in the afterlife. I responded with a very thought-provoking question that we teach in our witnessing workshops: “Dan, are you looking for something to believe in, or are you looking for the truth?” The change in Dan’s tone led me to believe that he had never been confronted with the truth about truth.

Initially, Dan was quite flippant in his responses and Toby soon chimed in with the same nonchalant attitude. However,  as our dialogue unfolded, their change in countenance confirmed that the Holy Spirit was somehow working in their hearts and minds. In fact, by the end of our talk together, they both gladly give me their email addresses for further follow-up! But God wasn’t finished working on them yet…

In the late afternoon we began open air preaching. It was when TCC Rep Jeff Mardling began preaching Christ crucified that Dan and Toby came back to listen. Both were arrested by the Good News and stuck around to talk more about the truth of life, death, and eternity. In the end, both Dan and Toby received Bibles to take home with them and were very thankful that they had encountered Jesus Christ that day at Niagara Falls.

Above: TCC Cameraman and evangelist, Brad Young, talks with Dan and Toby for the second time around

I am also excited to report that just a few days after our conversation, Dan emailed me back on behalf of he and Toby to express his gratitude for us talking and giving them free Bibles. He also wanted to know when their interview would be streaming on The Cross Current TV outreach broadcast.

The moral of the story? “…faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We needed faith that day, and so did Dan and Toby. So let’s preach the Gospel (rain or shine) and pray that the Lord justifies ans sanctifies all those who hear His Word!

~ Cory

We also want to congratulate Brad Young for “breaking the sound barrier” and preaching open air for his very first time! This bold demonstration of faithfulness resulted in Brad becoming our first “open air extraordinaire” and being awarded his very own portable open air preaching pulpit. We thank God for you Brad!

Right: Brad Young “breaks the sounds barrier” by preaching open air for his very first time

Please continue praying for the salvation of all those who encountered Christ through our team that day.

View our entire XTM Niagara Falls 2010 Photo Album

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TCC officially flows onto The Stream TV!

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In early 2009, it was announced that The Cross Current had received an exciting offer from The Stream TV network to launch an Internet-based reality TV show to preach the Gospel and equip the Church in Canada and around the world. Well, after a year and a half of praying, preparing, recording, and editing, The Cross Current channel is officially live and the first series of episodes are available online for viewing!

TCC exists to preach the Gospel in talk and walk and to help pastors equip their churches to do the same. TCC TV will support this mission by enabling our viewers to experience the encounters in everyday evangelism that we experience for themselves. This program will also evangelize non-Christians and disciple Christians into more faithful proclamation of the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Click here to visit The Cross Current channel on The Stream TV

Are you interested in having us TCC come onsite to equip your church to share the Gospel with your community in word and works? Your church can not only leverage our experience in the local mission field, but we may also feature your Gospel outreach event on The Cross Current television program.

Contact us today

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The Power of Applied Apologetics


For the past 3 years, TCC has been invited to equip teen aged students at a very specialized conferenced called CYWAL (Christian Youth Worldview And Leadership). This is a very solid training ground designed to prepare senior teens for life and ministry in the real world. Featured speakers/ministries include: Ravi Zacharias International, Creation Ministries International, Truth Matters, and several others. Our role as a ministry is to help wrap-up a jam-packed week of apologetics with a special time of field application.

Left: The CYWAL class of 2010 boards the bus bound for their field witnessing trip

On Thursday July 29th, Cory conducted an interactive session called “Witnessing in One Hour” at the conference centre in Cambridge, Ontario before we boarded a bus and hit the streets of Guelph that same afternoon.

Right: CYWAL students Samir and Jacob share the Gospel on the streets for their very first time

Special thanks to all those experienced evangelists who took time out of their busy summer schedules to serve as street team leaders. By God’s grace, your investment into the lives of His preacious young followers will bear fruit forever!
CYWAL offers student training in worldviews, apologetics, evangelism, and leadership. For more information, visit: www.cywal.org

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3 Minutes to Live!

What would be most important to you in you only had 3 minutes to live? What would you say to an unsaved loved one or stranger if they only had 3 minutes to live? Is there something, anything you could possibly share to help make the difference between Eternal Life and Eternal Death for this dying person? In this candid series, our street team confronts the culture with a “truth or dare” challenge to prepare their souls for the journey we all must take into eternity. This is literally the series of a lifetime!

Witness with your loved ones using Listener’s Resources for this series

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Your for July

Let’s continue partnering together to keep our for TCC and the Church in Canada strong!

This month we humbly ask you, your family, and your church to remember to pray for the following TCC outreach and training events in August:

> Barrie Local Mission (Caribfest) – August 13th & 14th

> Ambassador’s Academy Los Angeles (2 TCC leaders attending on scholarships) – August 25th to 29th

Continue keeping a pulse on our prayer needs

Bookmark our ministry calendar to continue praying for our local missions

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We again thank God for you and your partnership in preaching the Gospel and equipping other Christ-followers to do the same.

In Christ Alone,

The Cross Current Team

Keep Connected with TCC

Share TCC on Facebook

Follow TCC on Twitter

Subscribe to this newsletter

Bookmark our Blog

Donate to our mission in Canada

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-july-2010/feed/ 0 The Gospel in Everything http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/the-gospel-in-everything/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/the-gospel-in-everything/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:51:37 +0000 Brad Young http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2212 Hello All and welcome to my first official posting,

I have been job searching for awhile now.  The contract I was on expired at the beginning of November and I have been looking for work since.  Now Jesus has been especially generous to my family during this time.  The Holy Spirit has provided great wisdom and discipline in regards to budgeting and learning to be more efficient in our living, a part-time job delivering Newspapers in the morning has balanced out where our budget was lacking.  Which was a huge answer to prayer as the Lord has not opened a door for full-time work and I did not want to be the guy mentioned in 1 Tim 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” So, in all this I have been patiently waiting on he Lord and sending out resumes and cover letters.  After hearing a Q&A with John Piper about resumes, and a comment a friend made after reading mine; it really got me thinking about how prideful a resume can be.  The whole thing is taking what the Lord has given you (jobs, education, experience, blessings) and turning them all to be about you.  Which I understand in one sense is the point in a resume, but recruiters and companies are asking you to send them something that they will read, and I’m using that window of opportunity to only talk about myself.  This thought has stay with me for a few weeks, and I didn’t act.  In fact I specifically stopped handing out resumes and cover letters.  But this was laziness, and I needed to follow through on my convictions.  So below is an excerpt from my current cover letter, this is the second paragraph after I explain the job I’m applying for, and before I jumped into my previous experience and what not.

While I do not seek to boast or place my trust in the accomplishments outlined in this cover letter and resume I hope to explain what the Lord Jesus Christ has placed in my hands and mind to do.  God is a worker and I was created in his image (Gen 1:26, 2:15). I have not always lived how I have been called to live, but Christ saved me from this and much more and now I know that I do not work for man, but for Christ (Col 3:17, 22-24).

Is it a full gospel presentation, no. Does it walk through the finer details of Law and Grace, no.  But it briefly explains, God, Sin, Forgiveness, repentance, renewal, and transformation and that Jesus is Lord.

Now has this produced any leads?  No, and I’m not trying to play a religious card in hoping that another Christian sees it and then hires me because I follow Christ either.  This is to present the Gospel in a manner that lines up with the intended purpose of the documents its sent with.  Its just one more way to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in everything we do, also it really helps kill pride!

P.S. Jesus has a plan, he is the provider king, and I am waiting.  I’ve prayed that he would only open the doors that I am to walk through, and not waste the time I have been given chasing false leads and hoping in interviews that go nowhere.  So the fact that my resume has drawn no leads what so ever, means there is either a glaring mistake that somehow insults every reader, or God is sovereign and I am waiting for him to open doors. (and if its the door I think might be opening, I’m going to be doing college ministry from the inside, something to pray about)

~ Brad Young

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/the-gospel-in-everything/feed/ 0 Prequel http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/prequel/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/prequel/#comments Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:26:26 +0000 Brad Young http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2210 Where to start…

First of all let me say that I am resistant to start a blog, not that I don’t have a lot of ideas or opinions, in fact I have too many.  I wouldn’t even say that is bad in of itself, its just that I tend to think my ideas are really good, all the time, and that’s pride.  So to combat my pride I have resisted blogging since I had a friend first mention it years ago, after a rather long “religious” conversation.  But, I realize in my “defeating pride” I am just being proud and lazy.  I still think my ideas are the best, but I’m too lazy to type them out, and not willing to take a rebuke if I go off on tangents.

So, this is the starting point, please rebuke me if necessary, as critics can be the best coaches, and lets open this up with some prayer.

Jesus, make your name known.  I ask, Lord remove my thoughts and ideas, and let the words you’ve given me come out unstained by the ridiculous desires of my heart.  Lord, who am I, but a sinner saved by your grace.  I do not deserve to know you, I have done nothing to seek you, and often I have resisted your undeniable presence in my life.  Forgive me again, and let this be a place where the work and words you are accomplishing reign.  Let me be a mouth crying out in the wilderness, for you and only you Jesus.

Amen

~ Brad Young

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/prequel/feed/ 0 E-Tools Newsletter | June 2010 http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-june-2010/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-june-2010/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 12:58:02 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2182 Welcome to our for June 2010! This monthly TCC field report also includes strategic outreach resources to encourage, equip, and empower you to more effectively share the Gospel with all the loved ones in your life as we faithfully serve Christ in Canada together.

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Leaving the ninety-nine for the one

It was another one of those Friday nights when my fears were getting the best of me. I felt like preaching the Gospel about as much as I felt like skydiving without a parachute.

I truly wish I could tell you that sowing into the local mission field every week is a sure-fire solution for becoming becoming a fearless super soldier for Christ – but this has simply not been my experience. Yes, God rewards our faithful witnessing with increased confidence in conversations, but the fluttery feelings of trepidation and insecurity just never seem to go away. So all I can do in those tough times is cling to Christ’s call and command to leave the ninety-nine to go after the one who is lost and remind myself again and again that (thankfully!) all my God asks of me is to be faithful.

Why Gospel preachers must pray

During our pre-witnessing prayer time, I received a strong sense from the Lord that I was going to encounter someone who professed to be a follower of Christ. I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but I was certainly open to being used by God to share with whomever necessary.

We arrived at the International Food Expo in the heart of our hometown and the public park was buzzing with people. An evangelists’ dream! After giving out many Gospel tracts and sharing the true Gospel of Christ with a couple of Jehovah’s Witnesses, we encountered two young ladies named Jennifer and Susan (names changed).

The Million Dollar Question

I passed each a million dollar bill tract and asked, “Has anyone ever asked you ‘the million dollar question’?” “No”, they responded. “It’s the single most important question of your entire life! Can I ask you?” “Sure”, they both said. “OK, here it is…”. I paused. “What do you believe happens after you die?” Jennifer quickly responded, “Well, I’m a Christian.” Both believed themselves to be good enough to be with God in heaven, until I lifted up the mirror of God’s law in front of them and they saw themselves in truth before Him.

After hearing the Good News about the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, Jennifer confessed that she had been attending a church for about a year, but had since wandered away. That’s when I explained to her what God had revealed to me in prayer just an hour earlier and how He commands us to leave the ninety-nine to find the one…and she could very well be that one tonight! We both agreed that this encounter was no accident and she received my invitation to come to church with great joy.

I am very pleased to report that Jennifer did come to church that same Sunday and was powerfully impacted by the worship and preaching of God’s Word. Not surprisingly, she also committed to coming back again the next week.

Rejoice!

This encounter in evangelism reminds me of the parable of the lost sheep Christ shared in Luke 15. First, the man was compelled to leave the ninety-nine sheep to find the one that was lost. In our context, this is much like the Spirit of God compelling us to leave the church to go into the world to find His precious souls who are lost.

Christ also said that after the sheep was found, the man came home and called together his friends and neighbours and said to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” That’s why I share this story with you all as friends, neighbours, and brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s encourage one another to continue leaving the ninety-nine for the ones that are lost. And let’s rejoice that the lost are being found…in Jesus’ Name!

Witnessing lessons learned

The Lord has already taught me several valuable lessons through this particular Gospel glory story. First, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind. Second, the qualities are in the seed, not the sower. But there is another very practical principle that can’t be missed, and it’s this: how we get people to church is typically how we keep people in church.

Jennifer was not lured to church by my eloquent wisdom or some shallow promise of an entertaining church service. If that were the case, then only by offering her more of the same will she keep coming on Sunday. However, I have to believe that Jennifer was moved to come to church by the Spirit of God after hearing the foolish preaching of His precious Gospel. Praise God! For now I can continue leaving the ninety-nine to go after another lost one with a clear conscience that Jennifer is not in my hands, but in the hands of The Great Shepherd Himself.

For His Glory,

Cory

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A weekend with Paul Washer

If you appreciate such classic preachers as Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Charles Spurgeon, you likely appreciate a modern preacher named Paul Washer.

Paul serves as the director of HeartCry Missionary Society and is known for preaching strong truth surrounding the biblical Gospel.

Left: Missionary Paul Washer (middle) with Cory and Tom of TCC

Cory and Tom had the privilege of taking part in a leadership luncheon with Paul Washer on Friday, June 18th and several more of our leaders came together to hear Paul teach on Saturday, June 19th at a small camp in Campbellville, Ontario.

Paul was one of the most humble and gracious conference speakers whom we have ever had the privilege of meeting. He spent hours sitting with the conference attendees to get all their questions answered. He skipped lunch to counsel one single soul who desired a more biblical understanding of the Gospel. And he joyfully did all this despite dealing with a debilitating bone condition that causes him constant pain and stiffness in his neck and joints.

Further, not only did Paul gladly record a liner for our radio show, but he also took the time to personally email Cory after the conference just to encourage us in the Lord.

Please remember to pray diligently for Paul Washer (and family) as he continues direction his missions organization and looks to plant a church in the near future.

Click here to listen to Paul Washer’s liner for TCC Radio

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Homosexuality

Homosexuality. In one church extreme, it is seen as the ultimate sin. Not true. In another church extreme, homosexuals are encouraged to serve in the ministry. Wrong again. But we see both of these, and many other variations going on both inside and outside churches all over North America.

So if there really is something called Truth, then what’s the truth of this subject? What does the Bible really say, and how should that make the Church engage the culture on this hot topic? Are homosexuals born that way? If so, is there just condemnation for them or might there actually be hope even for those who supposedly have little choice in their sexuality? In this series we tell the truth about homosexuality.

Maximize your witness with your loved ones using our Producer’s Notes and Listener’s Resources for this series

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Your for July

Let’s continue partnering together to keep our for TCC and the Church in Canada strong!

This month we humbly ask you, your family, and your church to remember to pray for the following TCC outreach events in July:

> Canada Day Outreach – July 1st

> Niagara Falls Local Mission – July 24th

> Christian Youth Worldview And Leadership (CYWAL) Conference – July 25th to 30th

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Continue keeping a pulse on our prayer needs

Bookmark our ministry calendar to continue praying for our local missions

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--Canada needs Christ.

We praise God for overseas missionaries who are taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But as you look across your own community and country, there is also lots of missions work to be done locally for the Lord right here at home.

If you agree that Canada Needs Christ, will you pray about giving to our great cause of sharing the Gospel? A gift of even $25/month would result in at least 2 people every week receiving the Gospel, a Bible, and church follow-up information. Your gift will literally keep giving the Gospel again and again right here in Canada!

Click here to donate to our mission in Canada

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We again thank God for you and your partnership in the Great Commission.

In Christ Alone,

The Cross Current Team

Keep Connected with TCC

Share TCC on Facebook

Follow TCC on Twitter

Subscribe to this newsletter

Bookmark our Blog

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/07/e-tools-newsletter-june-2010/feed/ 0 TCC Radio – Homosexuality Series | Listener’s Resources http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/tcc-radio-homosexuality-series-listeners-resources/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/tcc-radio-homosexuality-series-listeners-resources/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:45:52 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2177 Welcome to your Listener’s Resources for our special series on Homosexuality, as heard on The Cross Current Radio Show!

These simple outreach resources will allow you to witness to your loved ones using the same basic tools that our field reps use throughout the production of each radio series.

“The Spirit of Pride” – July 2010 | Producer’s Notes & Listener’s Script

Follow the simple download instructions below to access these TCC Radio outreach resources. We pray they will help you make the most of reaching out to those who are hopelessly lost in this demonic and deceptive lifestyle.

Homosexuality – Producer’s Notes (Download: Right-click, “Save as”)

Producer’s Notes presented by: Kevin Lane – writer & producer

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Homosexuality – Listener’s Script (Download: Click, save, and print)

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]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/witnessing-workshop-videos/feed/ 0 E-Tools Newsletter | May 2010 http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/e-tools-newsletter-may-2010/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/e-tools-newsletter-may-2010/#comments Tue, 01 Jun 2010 20:07:37 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2139 Welcome to our for May 2010! This monthly TCC field report also includes strategic outreach resources to encourage, equip, and empower you to more effectively share the Gospel with all the loved ones in your life as we faithfully serve Christ in Canada together.

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Taking Our Witness TO the Xstream!

The XTM Toronto 2010 Local Missions Team

On Saturday May 15th, The Cross Current lead a team of fifteen witnessing warriors into the heat of battle in the heart of Canada’s largest and most multicultural city.

We set up our “salvation station” on Yonge and Dundas in downtown Toronto and we praise God that He allowed thousands of lost souls to receive Gospel tracts and hear the Good News of our Lord Jesus Christ through the one-to-one witnessing and open air preaching of our local missions team.

Left: “Lazarus” lays it down to draw a crowd before Cory preaches open air

Watch video highlights from XTM Toronto 2010

TCC exists to unify the Church in the Gospel and help pastors equip all Christians under their care to be Christ’s witnesses. That’s why every Xstream Team Mission (XTM) is conducted in partnership with a qualified local church. Special thanks to Ryan Sinclair for joining us in the field and representing Morningstar Christian Church as our partner church for this event.

Here are a few testimonial tidbits from several first-time XTM attendees who joined us in TO:

Planting seeds in the Lord’s field with not only Cory and his team, but other evangelists, was the best day I think I ever had in my life. ~ John B.

The harvest is ready but the laborers are few. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Handing out tracts in downtown Toronto reminded me of the urgency of the Gospel. ~ Mike B.

Right: Mike (L) and John (R) give God thanks for a great day of Gospel outreach in downtown Toronto

May 15th 2010 is a day that will have a lasting effect on my life and Christian witness. God convicted me that I needed to be faithful in presenting the Gospel and praying for these individuals and leaving the rest up to him. ~ Duane C.

I’m not an eloquent speaker with the art of persuasion, but I do have the truth. In spite of me, God will use His truth to speak to people. All that He requires of me is to be faithful and obedient.” ~ Ange S.

Left: Ange takes the time to share the Good News with a fast-talking Torontonian

What a great day. The need is truly great in preparing the ground (prayer) and planting the seed (witnessing). I find it hard to explain, but say I believe it is “the joy of the Lord.” ~ Bill D.

Right: Bill listens to the spiritual views of a passerby before sharing the Gospel

Read full XTM Toronto 2010 testimonials

Check out the XTM Toronto 2010 Photo Album

Is God calling you to step out in faith to take your life and witness to the xstream? Then plan on joining the team for these other XTM teams of 2010:

XTM Canada Day

July 1st

London, ON

XTM Niagara Falls

July 24th

Niagara Falls, ON

XTM Barrie

August 13th and August 14th

Barrie, ON

XTM St. Thomas

September 25th

St. Thomas, ON

Click here to submit your application today

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Here Comes the Bride!

The Church. Who or what is the Bride of Christ and what is her purpose in the here and now? What is it about “going to church” that gets people so excited about inviting others to join them? Is a church a social club or a community program? Or is there something that makes those faithful Sunday morning worshipers really different than everyone else? Does the Church really need to entice people to visit? Join TCC as we take you on a humbling journey to discover the truth about God’s family.

Maximize your witness with your loved ones using our Producer’s Notes and Listener’s Resources for this series

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Experience Eight Episodes of TCC TV!

Eight exciting episodes of TCC TV are available online now!

Highlights of these encounters in everyday evangelism include: going with the Gospel Outreach “GO” Team of Harvest Bible Chapel London, fishing at farmers markets, storefront soul-winning, open air Gospel preaching on Good Friday, and more!

Remember: the clips are raw, the conversations are real…but TCC TV promises to help you experience what happens when we step out in faith to share our faith together for God’s glory.

Experience TCC TV now!

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Equipping the Saints

The Bible says that God gave evangelists to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Our Witnessing Workshops are designed to help Christ-followers leverage our experience in the local mission field to “normalize” sharing their faith in all their personal relationships and beyond.

This month TCC had the privilege of conducting life and witness training at two special venues:

Teen Challenge Farm

Teen Challenge (TC) is a 12-month, faith-based, residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. The Cross Current has the privilege of facilitating the students at TC with hands-on life and witness training twice a year. The training this past month took place over two Wednesdays nights and we are very pleased to report that not only did four TC students join us for XTM Toronto, but several more are also scheduled to take the training to the streets of London with us as well.

All Ontario Youth Convention

Every year the All Ontario Youth Convention brings together over 800 youth from all over Ontario for a full four days of fun, excitement, and opportunity to learn more about God. This year Cory McKenna was invited onsite to share TCC’s new one-hour witnessing workshop. Believe it or not, it is possible to learn how to become a more biblical, confident, and effective seed sower in just sixty minutes! In fact, would you believe that this mission was accomplished in just fifty minutes?

More info on TCC Witnessing Workshops

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Our for June

Let’s continue partnering together to keep our for TCC and the Church in Canada strong!

This month we humbly ask you, your family, and your church to remember to pray for the fruitfulness and protection of our families and ministry together throughout this busy season of weekly witnessing.

Continue keeping a pulse on our mutual prayer needs

Bookmark our ministry calendar to continue praying for our local missions

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We again thank God for you and for your ongoing partnership in preaching His Gospel in Canada.

For His Glory,

The Cross Current Team


Keep Connected with TCC

Share TCC on Facebook

Follow TCC on Twitter

Subscribe to this newsletter

Bookmark our Blog

Donate to our mission in Canada

]]> http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/06/e-tools-newsletter-may-2010/feed/ 0 Experience eight episodes of TCC TV! http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/05/experience-eight-episodes-of-tcc-tv/ http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/2010/05/experience-eight-episodes-of-tcc-tv/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 14:31:17 +0000 cmckenna http://thecrosscurrent.com/contact/blog/?p=2123 -

“In the Studio & On the Street” (2-part)

Join The Cross Current “In the Studio and On the Street” for another encounter in everyday evangelism. In Part 1, we take you into the studio of Grace 105.9 FM in London, Ontario to talk about witnessing with Pastor Norm Millar of Harvest Bible Chapel. In Part 2, you will experience an encounter in “wireless witnessing”; a Gospel conversation from the studio to the street via cell phone in real-time with a non-Christian! The clips are raw, the conversations are real, and this is what happens when we step out in faith to share our faith together.

TCC TV | “In the Studio & On the Street” – Part 1 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

TCC TV | “In the Studio & On the Street” – Part 2 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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“GO Team Go!” (2-part)

The Cross Current exists to equip the Church to engage the culture. One way we do that is by helping pastors develop and deploy Gospel Outreach “GO” Teams to reach out to their communities with the Gospel and good works. In this series, we joined frontline forces with the GO Team of Harvest Bible Chapel in London. In Part 1, we encountered a special guest named “Tim” and in Part 2, the Lord brought us a young man named “Patrick” to speak share Him with.

TCC TV | “GO Team Go” – Part 1 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

TCC TV | “GO Team Go” – Part 2 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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“Bad Cop/Good Cop…on Good Friday!”

What better day of the year to share the Good News than Good Friday? But, unfortunately, the two policemen who moved us off a public street corner this past April 2nd didn’t share our enthusiasm for preaching the Gospel open air to the lost of London, Ontario. Join The Cross Current local missions team for this raw and unedited encounter in everyday evangelism.

TCC TV | Bad Cop/Good Cop…on Good Friday! from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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“Fishing with Farmers” (2-part)

In this series of The Cross Current, we eavesdrop in on more encounters in everyday evangelism but this time at a local farmers market. Not only did we engage several non-Christians with the Gospel, but by God’s grace we encouraged a few Christians as well. In fact, one Christian restaurant owner onsite was so blessed by our ministry at the market that he extended a “once in a lifetime” offer that we had never heard before and will likely never hear again. “If someone comes to Jesus, I will give them a free burrito!” Who can refuse Eternal Life AND a burrito? In Part 1 of this series, TCC Field Rep, Chris, finds a lost friend named Croatio and shares the Good News that he’s found since high school. In Part 2, Cory enjoys a powerful conversation about life, death, and eternity with a precious lady named Patricia.

TCC TV | “Fishing with Farmers” – Part 1 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

TCC TV | “Fishing with Farmers” – Part 2 from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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“Everybody Loves Raymond”

The Cross Current exists to equip the Church to engage the culture. One way we do that is by helping pastors develop and deploy Gospel Outreach “GO” Teams to reach out to their communities with the Gospel and good works. In this encounter in everyday evangelism, Cory seeks shelter from cold winter witnessing and shares the Gospel with “Raymond”, the owner of Fantastic Finds, a new buy and sell store in London, Ontario.

TCC TV | “Everybody Loves Raymond” from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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“Trails End”

Each week The Cross Current preaches the Gospel in talk and walk and equips the Church to do the same. In this episode, TCC takes shelter from the cold to enjoy a Saturday of warm winter witnessing at a local market called Trails End where Cory encountered “Ashley” the New Ager.

TCC TV | “Trails End” from The Cross Current on Vimeo.

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